Wayne's World

Wayne's World is one of those films where you realise halfway through just how many lines, jokes and little bits of behaviour have escaped the movie and become part of everyday pop culture. The Bohemian Rhapsody car scene alone has probably been recreated by every group of mates who has ever been in a car together.

The best thing about it is that Wayne and Garth genuinely feel like friends. Mike Myers gets most of the story, but Dana Carvey is probably the secret weapon of the whole movie. Garth's facial expressions, awkwardness and complete inability to behave normally around women are hilarious without making him unlikeable. The film understands that these two are ridiculous, but it never looks down on them for being obsessed with music, guitars and their little public access show.

The music is a massive part of why it works. Queen obviously gets the moment everybody remembers, but Alice Cooper appearing and suddenly giving Wayne and Garth a history lesson is exactly the sort of nonsense the film does brilliantly. Tia Carrere is fantastic as Cassandra too. She isn't just there to be Wayne's girlfriend, she can actually sing, has her own career and often feels more capable than anyone around her.

Rob Lowe is perfectly slimy as Benjamin. He is just believable enough as the polished television guy who thinks he can buy Wayne's World and turn it into something corporate. That also gives us one of the film's best running jokes: the ridiculously blatant product placement while Wayne insists he would never sell out.

There are things around the making of the film that are harder to ignore now, particularly the stories about Mike Myers clashing with director Penelope Spheeris. Knowing what she brought to the film's rock and metal authenticity makes that a shame. It slightly takes the shine off the behind the scenes story, but it doesn't change how well the finished film works.

The fourth wall breaks, multiple endings, Ed O'Neill's increasingly disturbing speeches and the Terminator gag all make it feel like the film knows exactly how silly it is. It never spends too long pretending the stakes actually matter. Even when everything falls apart, Wayne can basically stop the movie and demand a better ending.

That is probably why Wayne's World has lasted. It isn't trying to be cleverer than its audience. It is just funny, warm, obsessed with music and completely comfortable being ridiculous.